A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 eBook

Kublai-khan reigned supreme emperor of the Mongals
from 1259 to 1294, in which last year he died at eighty
years of age. If, therefore, Nicolo and Maffei
had set out upon their first journey in 1250, they
must have arrived at the imperial residence of Cambalu,
or Pekin, in 1255, at the latest, or four years before
Kublai-khan ascended the throne. Their first journey
commenced while Baldwin II. was emperor of Constantinople,
who reigned from 1234 to 1261. The khan of Kiptschak,
or the western division of the vast empire of the
Mongals, at the time of this journey, was Bereke, who
ruled from 1256 to 1266. Holagu-khan, who was
then at war with Bereke, did not begin to reign till
1258. Hence it follows, that they could not have
commenced their first journey at the very earliest
before 1258, or 1259 rather; as it is not to be supposed
that Holagu would enter upon a dangerous war in the
first year of his reign. Upon the whole, therefore,
the date of 1260, for the commencement of the first
journey, as already observed, is perfectly consistent
with the chronology of history.

The year of their return to Venice, 1269, is agreed
upon on all hands; and as Marco was born in the first
year of their absence, he would then be about nine
years of age. Ramusio, who dates the commencement
of the first journey in 1250, supposes Marco to have
been fifteen years of age at the return of his father
and uncle, which is absurd; as, if the era assumed
by Ramusio were possibly true, he must then have been
in his nineteenth year.

According to the opinion of Mr J. R. Forster, the
commencement of the second journey in which Marco
was engaged, must have been in 1271; and he founds
this opinion on the circumstance, that Gregory IX.
had then been elected pope, from whom they carried
letters for Kublai-khan. But it will appear from
the travels themselves, that the three Polos had commenced
their journey previously to the election of that sovereign
pontiff, and that they were detained some time in
Armenia, in consequence of an express sent after them
for the purpose, that they might there wait for his
final instructions. They may, therefore, have
commenced this second journey in 1270. We only
know, however, that they set out from Venice for a
second journey into Tartary, soon after their return
from the first, in 1269; and that they carried young
Marco along with them. On his appearance at the
court of Cambalu, Kublai-khan took a fancy to the young
Venetian, and caused him to be instructed in four
of the principal languages which were spoken in the
extensive dominions of the Mongals. Marco was
afterwards employed by the khan, for a considerable
number of years, in several important affairs, as
will appear in the relation of his travels.